Peppermint Distraction
by ninjacatchester
Summary: But in the end, you're just a peppermint flavoured distraction, and that's all you'll ever be. **Freeverse, unrequited Teddy/Victoire, Teddy/Roxanne


**AN:** So, oddly enough, this poem was inspired by Burt's Bees peppermint lip chap. Weird.

**Pairings: **unrequited Victoire/Teddy, Teddy/Roxanne

**Summary: **But in the end, you're just a peppermint flavoured distraction, and that's all you'll ever be. **Freeverse, unrequited Teddy/Victoire, Teddy/Roxanne

**Rating: **T

**Disclaimer:** All things Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling.

**PEPPERMINT DISTRACTION**

.o.

You _clutch_ your

~little~book~of~poems~

to your chest

this is the **BIG CITY**

[and maybe there's no . place . for . a . poet . here]

**{**_**not one like you at least**_**}**

But there's room for a

**W I L D C H I L D**

_who's . hiding . a . heartbreak_

and-so-you

hide|your|poetry|beneath|the|hotel|matress

and _just let loose_

**[like Roxy always did]**

**{**_**before she stole your boyfriend**_**}**

and you f-o-r-g-e-t that your name means

**V I C T O R Y**

_because you _L|O|S|T _him_

but you l-o-v-e the way the

**p . e . p . p . e . r . m . i . n .t**

gloss _burns_ on your lips like a

K~I~S~S

[_his kiss_]

**{**_**but you don't let yourself think about that**_**}**

the way the

R E D L I P S T I C K

**makes you LOOK**

**like any R-U-N-A-W-A-Y**

_in London ought to look_

You L~O~V~E

the _everlastingnoise_

the _constantlife_

the way there's _alwayssomethinggoingon_

but you h|a|t|e

hate|hate|hate|hate|hate

the way h_e_'s not here

**{**_**he's not here**_**}**

the way you feel so l_o_n_e_l_e_y

**{**_**lonely**_**}**

so u_n_w_a_n_t_e_d

**{**_**unwanted**_**}**

**[**_**but it's your own fault, sweetheart**_**]**

**(****you let him get away, **_**didn't you?**_**)**

**{**_**and then she took him when you weren't looking**_**}**

_but you don't realize how clichéd the two of you are_

**{**_**seems you've already forgotten the last minute kisses and long walks on the beach at sunset**_**}**

_**till you meet him again in January**_

**[****it's five months since you saw him last****]**

_it's snowing lightly as he steps through the crowd_

_and-your-eyes-meet_

**(**_**you can practically **__**feel**__** the cliché**_**)**

_and then __**she**__ appears too_

_and the __snow__ turns to __**rain**_

**(**_**and your lovely little cliché turns into a different, more heartbreaking one**_**)**

and then Teddy says

"_What happened to you Tori?"_

_and you __**look down at yourself and you**_

_**see the difference between**_

**then **| and | now

**pink lips** | red lips

**long, pale blonde hair** | short, brunette hair

**that sweet little pink dress** | tiny little black mini skirt

**your annoyance with your Veela charm** | you're always using it now

_you're ohso_different, _aren't you?_

but you **sneer** in response to his question

and you **laugh** and you say

"**You happened."**

**then, before he can say a word,**

**you **_**brush past him**_

**because you've ****got a job to get to**

**and you ****can't afford to lose it**

**[**_**it's your third job this month already**_**]**

so you _leave him gaping_

_**and you try to forget the**_

_**P A I N**_

_**in his eyes when he sees you**_

_**in your **_less-than-usual glory

it's not till **J-U-N-E**

**that you **_**give up**_

**and **_**go home**_

**you **_**arrive at the Burrow**_

**just in time for **_**weekly Sunday lunch**_

**and you're **_**welcomed back**_

**into **_**open arms**_

**but **_**Teddy and Roxy**_

**have **_**news**_

**they're **_**engaged**_

**and you **_**fight the impulse**_

**to **_**stomp out again**_

**because you've **_**learned your lesson well enough**_

**so you **_**hang around**_

you don't just DISAPPEAR

(not like last time)

then, at little Lily's 17th birthday party

you find yourself

**pressed up against a tree,**

**with **_**Teddy**_** snogging the**

_**bloody hell out of you**_

**you're both a little**

**T**

**I**

**P**

**S**

**Y**

**so neither of you**

_**feel the guilt you should be feeling**_

but by the next morning,

you're both _eyeing each other_

_**warily**_

**{**_**you both know all too well what happened last night**_**}**

you're eyeing him because

_you wonder if he meant it_

and he's eyeing you because

**he's worried you'll tell Roxy**

**{**_**and Godric, you're tempted to**_**}**

_but their w-e-d-d-i-n-g approaches_

_and you __**still haven't said a word**_

and then you hear those fateful words

_speak now or forever hold your peace_

and **despite Teddy's imploring look,**

_you stand_

**{**_**and it's easier than you thought**_**}**

"**Tell her what happened on Lily's birthday."**

_is all you say before you walk out_

_and despite what you hoped,_

_**they're married**_

it seems Roxy doesn't even care

**and neither does Teddy**

_**because in the end,**_

_you're just a_

**p. e. p. p. e. r. m. i. n. t.**

_flavoured_

D~I~S~T~R~A~C~T~I~O~N

_**and that's all you'll ever be**_


End file.
